by Jordi Torrent, UNAOC
Most of the efforts to prevent young people’s attraction towards violent extremism fall on ears that are mainly already immune to the lure of violence connected to some form of religious extremism. Many research and studies indicate that social exclusion (real or perceived) is in fact the main engine that pushes young people towards violent forms of political and religious extremism. As the current United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has clearly stated, “the biggest threat to terrorists is not the power of missiles – it is the politics of inclusion.” Media and Information Literacy can provide a link towards that inclusion, developing critical thinking skills applied to media messages as early as primary education. Supporting young people’s voices in the production and distribution of their own media messages, but within the ethical framework of Media and Information Literacy.
http://milunesco.unaoc.org/wp-content/uploads/SaoPaulo_presentation3.pdf